Game.



J. WHITMORE.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, I917.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

WITNESSES ATTOH N EY JOHN WHITMORE, OF HIGBEE, MISSOURI.

1- GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, llilllld.

Application filed February 8, 1917. Serial No. 147,425.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WHITMQRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Higbee, in the county of Randolph and State of Missouri, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to games, and has for an object to provide a game includ ing a game board provided with inscribed characters, routes, symbols, etc., whereby two different games may be played upon the same board.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game which will be amusing and absorbing, and at the same time of a character to promote patriotism and interest in national warfare, as well as instruction, to the young.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a game including a game board having the characteristics above named, and pieces of a novel character adapted to be moved over the board by a means engaging said pieces and permitting the same to be readily directed and moved in all directions.

In addition to the foregoing, my invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference, throughout the several views in which they p Figure 1, is a View in plan of a game board designed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2, is a View in perspective of one of the pieces, and

Fig. 3, is a view in perspective of a device used in connection with the pieces for moving the same.

With reference to the drawings, 1 indicates a board which may be of any suitable size but preferably two feet square, and hav' ing inscribed upon its upper surface at opposite margins coastlines indicated at 2 and 3. These lines are designed to indicate the coastlines of mainlands separated by a body of water in between. For the purpose of inreasing the interest the side of the board inclosed by the line 2 may be designated Europe and the opposite side inclosed by the line 3 be designated America.

Extending longitudinally of the board from one coastline to the other are a plurality of more or less irregular or circuitous lines indicated at a which are presumed to represent the water route of vessels or battleships which cross the water from one coastline to the other. Some of these lines have their opposite terminals located upon the opposed coastlines 2 and 3, and other lines have one terminal located at one coast line, and the other terminal located at some point upon the intermediate portion of the board between the coastlines Without touching either of said lines. A line of this character is indicated at 5 and it will be noted that its termination on the board is indicated by a symbol 6 which may be formed to represent a mine. Furthermore, all the lines which terminate upon the coastline 3 are numbered as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Y

The game is intended to be played with pieces, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 2, and is designed to crudely represent a battleship which comprises a fiattened piece 7 of more or less lanceolate formation, having superposed thereupon a cylindrical member 8 provided upon its upper surface with a hemispherical depression 9. A flag or the like 10 may be placed 'at one end of the base portion to designate in which direction the {piece is moving. For moving the pieces about the board I provide an operating member indicated in Fig. 3 which comprises a rod 11, rectangular in cross section at one end as indicated at 12, and slightly tapering at the other end and provided at said tapered end with a spherical member 13 of a size to fit in and be received in the depression 9 of the piece above described. By inserting the spherical member 13 in the depression 9 of the piece and moving the piece, the same may be 1100 directed so as to follow the course of the lines upon the board by twisting the mem ber 11 in one direction or the other axially thereof whereby owing to the frictional engagement between the members 13 and the 105 member 8, a more or less universal connection is established whereby the piece may be directed to follow any of the lines however circuitous they may be, and moreover without the necessity of leaning over the board.

When the game of Universal Peace is to be played the players locate their pieces upon the lines having their terminations in the coast line 2 and each player moves his piece in order and to a distance along the line upon which the piece is placed until an intersecting line is reached, whereupon movement of the piece is discontinued until the next player moves. Thus, the pieces are gradually moved toward the opposite coast-line 3 and the player who brings the most pieces to the coast-line 3 is the winner of the game. To increase interest in the game, rules may be established to the effect that when the pieces should happen to meet at the intersection of their routes, the player having the last move is given the preference and permitted to proceed, the other player being obliged to remove his piece from the board. Also, the player who selects a line having its termination in the middle of the board, when said termination is reached the piece'must be removed from the board. Also, by numbering the terminals of the lines as indicated on the drawmg, a rule may be established to the effect that a player who arrives at a line provided with an uneven number may be compelled to remove his piece from the board, and the player whose piece comes to a line number with an even number may be permitted to bring the piece to its goal. A modification of the game may be played which for the purposes of convenience I have termed The Naval Battle, and in this modification, the pieces are started from opposite coastlines, and moved along the routes in opposite directions. Where the pieces meet upon the lines thereby increasing the interest in the game.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

l. A game board having a base line at opposite margins, a plurality ofirregular lines inscribed upon the board, terminating at the baselines, irregular lines starting from one base line, and branching, one branch terminating at the oppositebase line, and the other branch returning to the starting base line, lines starting from one base line and terminating at points on the board intermediate the base lines, and symbols inscribed upon the boardat the terminals'of the lines which terminate at points inter:

mediate of the bases to indicate submarine In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I JOHN WVHITMORE. Witnesses: 1. r

B. C. RATLI F,

IV. S. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. V 

